2nd chance at life, love
Organ recipients’ Valentine tale
The anatomy of this romance goes beyond the usual two hearts.
Meet Kevin Roberson and fiancée Iris Resto, unlikely lovebirds given new leases on life by their organ transplants: Two lungs for him just four years back, a transplanted kidney for her in 2007.
“We got a second chance at life,” said Resto, 53, of the Bronx. “I'm a sick person with the battle wounds to show for it. And to meet somebody that has almost the same life experience is a miracle.”
Their joyous journey from strangers to soul mates includes a lot of paying it forward, too — in fact, it's how they met. The grateful organ recipients signed up as volunteers at a 2016 event for LiveOnNY, the federally designated organization overseeing organ and tissue donation in New York City, Long Island, Westchester County and parts of upstate.
As Resto recalls, Roberson appeared about 15 minutes late — leaving her all alone, “waiting patiently” in the Eighth Ave. offices of Google.
Once her cute co-volunteer arrived, the pair shared tales of their lifesaving surgeries and became fast friends, even sharing a subway ride uptown. There were sparks, but both were in relationships so things remained on simmer.
“We became friends on Facebook,” recalls Resto.
“I thought you were begging me for my phone number,” Roberson interrupts.
“I don't think it went like that,” she replies, laughing.
The two shed their not-assignificant others and started signing up for the same volunteer gigs, growing closer. Resto finally invited him to a LiveOnNY event at City Hall, and Roberson turned up.
Afterward, the two walked north through block after block of Manhattan before grabbing lunch at a Starbucks near 30th St.
Roberson, 56, turned to another chain restaurant last November when he popped the question, hiding the engagement ring in a McDonald's bag.
“I don't think it was very romantic,” he acknowledged as Valentine's Day approached. “I could have done better. But that ring was burning a hole in my pocket. I couldn't wait to give it to her.”
By then, both Resto nor Roberson — neither ever married before — knew they belonged together.
“It worked out perfect,” said Roberson. “We just have so much in common, volunteering and telling our stories. And she's a beautiful woman, so it worked out great.”
Resto concurred: “We were good for each other.”
The twosome — who have yet to set a wedding date — continue to preach the gospel of organ transplant from their viewpoints as recipients.
Last year, almost 900 New Yorkers were given a second chance at life via a new heart, lung, liver, kidney or pancreas. And yet there remain nearly 10,000 state residents waiting for a transplant.
Anyone interested in registering as a donor can go to liveonny.org.
The happy couple has no particular plans for Valentine's Day, but one thing's for sure: They love each other from head to toe.
Roberson even jokes that his transplant turned out better than advertised.
“I kinda of figured things would get better, but not this much,” he laughed. “At my age, I thought I was going to be single — a bachelor forever.”